Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-08
The JAIL.BREAkERS,

| S~YSOeSSss
Weiman, the escaped prisoner, wa.
brought back last night by John Ward
and Charles Sherry, they having failed
to find Armstrong. They saw the
smoke of campfire in the lava, near
Deadman's Flat, about rs miles from
HALEY, and felt sure of bagging their
game. But when they got there they
found no one, although they did see
fresh footprints in the mud close to
the FIRE. Deputy Sheriff McPhse and
Charles Nelson reached the locality
yesterday afternoon, determined to
stay there until hunger or thirst shall
compel Armstrong to come from the
cover of some friendly depression in
the lava.
A TIMES reporter was, through the
courtesy of Sheriff Kinney, permitted
to interview Weiman this afternoon.
In reply to questions, the prisoner,
who talks with a pronounced Ger
man accent, spoke substantially as
follows:
wEIMAN's STORY.
ut took Armstrong two days to file
the bars in the window. He pre-
tended to be sick, and went to the
water-closet often. l don't know
where he got the file. While he was
filing l looked out to see that no one
came. When some one came along,
Armstrong concealed the filed part OF
the bar by daubing it with soap and
dust and dry mortar. An hour or so
later he would 60 in again and work
until interrupted. No one knew what
we were doing. We were afraid to
tell any one. l thought I would be
sent up for 10 years. If I had known
that my punishment could only be a
few months in Jail, would have re-
mained. But Armstrong said that he
was bound to hang, and he might as
we'll die with bullet in him as dang.
ling from the end of a rope.
When everything was ready, Arm
strong whistled low. 1t was about II
o'clock at night. My door did not
lock, but l don't think the officers
knew it; the pinch bolt would slip
into place, but it wouldn't catch. As
l was not locked up came out, found
Armstrong waiting for me, he having
locked up his cell after getting out
by means of false key made with
case-knife, and we went to the win
dow, removed the bars, and skipped.
THEY RECEIVED NO HELP FROM
OUTSIDE.
There was no one helping US. We
took with us two case knives, and
about three days bread and salt that
we had saved. That was all we had
to eat for three days. After the first
day we would burn piece of bread,
and break it in water, to make coffee.
The FIRST night we went about mile
below town, near Star gulch, and
tried to cross the river. After wading
in up to our breast, we found it was
too deep, and came back and laid
down and built small fire to dry our
clothes. l only had pair of over
alls on, and suffered greatly from cold.
We remained in the brush all next
day, and early in the afternoon man
saw US. Armstrong got scared and
we started to get to the bridge to
cross the mountains in Star gulch;
but we could not find it,
That night we crossed Wood River
valley between HALEY and Bellevue,
and over the mountain to the
Bellevue slaughter-house. We ex-
pected to get some meat there, but
found none. The next day we spent
in a prospect-hole on Lookout noun
tain and
SAW SHERIFF M'PHEE DRIVE PAST
toward Haley. We thought that
perhaps we were gone. wanted to
come and give myself up, but Arm
strong would not let me. The third
night we spent in the mountains near
Silver creek, and saw McPhee driv-
ing about again in his buggy. Then
1 said to Armstrong, who could not
walk at all, that he must 60 his way
and l would go mine; but he was
afraid I would give him up, and
threatened to kill me If tried to 60.
| did not fear him, but didn't want
to kill him for fear of being hung.
The caxt dav we rot To the little